The new big out-of-town retail planning application near Cranbrook – the decision

The recommendation from officers, just announced, is for approval but councillors vote against that unanimously.

The application is REFUSED.

[However, it will almost certainly go to appeal/planning inquiry so this is not the last we have heard of it and there are three other similar schemes in the pipeline in the same area yet to come forward].

One of the objectors:

“Keith Lewis from Exeter Civic Society is speaking against the proposals.

“Many of the proposed retail outlets are too large,” he says. “We support the development of a local centre. These proposals seem to ignore established policy and the needs of local communities. “This application is worse than those you have refused before.

“Cranbrook has a planned town centre with development land in place. This jeopardises its establishment.

“A number of private bodies have asked you to refuse this application because it is not a local centre and we will also ask the same.”

and

“Cllr Percy Prowse expresses worry over the traffic impact “I’m trying to picture who would want to visit this new site,” Cllr Percy Prowse. “On Friday, I went to the environment department and asked them about how we had breached air quality results in the Heavitree corridor. “A new retail park would be very unsatisfactory.”